Azmaveth

Azmaveth is a name carried by three Old Testament men and one village near Jerusalem. The men appear in David's military and civil administration and in the Saulide genealogies of Chronicles; the village shows up twice in the post-exilic returnee lists, where it is also called Beth-azmaveth.

Azmaveth the Barhumite, one of David's heroes

In the catalogue of David's mighty men, Azmaveth is identified by his hometown. Second Samuel calls him "Azmaveth the Barhumite" (2 Samuel 23:31), and the parallel list in Chronicles writes the gentilic with the variant spelling: "Azmaveth the Baharumite" (1 Chronicles 11:33). In both rosters he stands among the named warriors who served David.

Azmaveth in the line of Jonathan

A second Azmaveth appears in the Benjaminite genealogies of Saul's house. The line runs through Ahaz to Jehoaddah, "and Jehoaddah begot Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza" (1 Chronicles 8:36). The parallel record substitutes the name Jarah for Jehoaddah but otherwise repeats the trio: "Jarah begot Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri" (1 Chronicles 9:42). This Azmaveth is therefore a descendant of Jonathan through Mephibosheth's line.

Azmaveth son of Adiel, over the royal treasures

The third Azmaveth holds civil office under David. Among the officers set over the king's property, "over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel" (1 Chronicles 27:25), with Jonathan son of Uzziah charged with the treasures stored in the fields, cities, villages, and castles.

The village of Azmaveth (Beth-azmaveth)

A place called Azmaveth lies in the territory north of Jerusalem. The returnee list in Ezra counts "the sons of Azmaveth, forty and two" (Ezra 2:24); Nehemiah's parallel register preserves the longer form, "the men of Beth-azmaveth, forty and two" (Nehemiah 7:28). The village reappears when the Levitical singers are gathered for the dedication of the wall, drawn "from Beth-gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had built themselves villages round about Jerusalem" (Nehemiah 12:29). Its pairing with Geba places it in the Benjaminite belt just outside the city.